Dimensioning apparatus.



W. N. STEVENS.

DIMENSIONING APPARATUS.

21110411011 FILED mm: a, 1909.

Patented Mair. 22, 1910.

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' W,- N. STEVENS. DIMENSIONI'NG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDJUNE8.1Q09.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

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WIT/PEJJL'JI I [11/ Vf/LTOR XWZJJW I UNITED STATS "PATENT WILLIAM N. STEVENS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

.. DIMENSIONING APPARATUS.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be itknown that l, \VILLIAM N. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at I-larttord, in the county of llartfordand State oi Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dimensioning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to an apparatus which is designed to be used in connection with a lathe or similar cutting tool, or with a grinder or the like reducing machine, for causing the reduction of the stock to cease 'when the exact predetermined dimension is reached.

In the type of this class of apparatus which illustrated a feeling member, mounted upon a movable support, is brought into con-tact with the stock to be reduced. This support is adjusted so'that when the stock with whieh'the feeling member is en gagethbecomes reduced to the desired dimension by grinding or cutting, the feeler v automatically operates to bring into action,

either an electrical, )neumatic or mechanical mechanism, which causes the advance or further action of the reducing agent or tool to cease.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of this nature with means'whereby changes in the relation of the feeling point to the scale by means of which the adjustment of the support is read, due to wear and to irregularities of manufacture, breakage and replacing of parts,

and other causes, may be compensated for in order to insure a constant reading on the dial, scale or dimension indicating device,

which is utilized in adjusting the carriage, to determine the necessary adjustment to stop the action of the reducing means, and thus insure very accurate dimensioning.

Theinvention is illustrated as embodied in an apparatus-having an oscillatory feeler,

which, when the stock is reduced to the predetermined dimension, closes an electric circuit that sets into ope 'ation the mechanism which stops the feed of the reducing means.

The feed stopping mechanism is not illustrated, as it forms no part of the present invent-ion, and the invention .is not limited to electrical means for stopping the feed of the reducing agent, as the apparatus herein described and claimed is usable for, setting into operition ai pneumatic or a mechanical feed stop.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgymnijgd M 22, 1 14) Application filed June 8, 1909.

Serial No. 500,873.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a side elevation of an apparatus which embodies the invention, with parts broken away in order to better illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 shows a plan of the same apparatus with parts broken away and cut in section. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 on Fig. Q,

While the invention is applicablcfor dimensioning work of various shapes, held in machines of ditt'erent types. it is illustrated in the drawings and described herein in connection with the reduction of a cylindrical piece of stock 1, by means of a grinding or polishing wheel 2. This stock is represented as supported by ordinary centers 3, mounted in the head and tail stocks of a common machine.

The base at of the dimensioning apparatus is mounted on the top of a portion of the table 5 ot the machine, in such manner that it may be moved longitudinally along the table parallel with the stock to be reduced to the necessary position opposite the stock forthe feeler to engage therewith. Mounted on one end of the base is a block 6, which holds a threaded feed spindle 7. This spindle at its outer end has a wheel 8 provided with a handle 9, by means of which the feed .screw may be rotated. The periphery of the hand wheel is provided with a scale 10, the graduat-ions of which are spaced any de sired distance apart, and attached to the spindle bearing block is an index arm 11 with a zero mark 12 adjacent to the edge of the; scale on the periphery of the hand wheel.

On the top of the base of this apparatus is a dove-tailed way 13, and mounted on this Way so that it may be moved toward and from the stock to be reduced, is a feeler support or carriage 1-4., A nut 15, which fits the feed screw, is rotatably mounted in one end of this carriage. This nut has a head 16, by .means ot.;whioh it may be turned, when the clampl'ever' 17 is loosened so to release it. tightened, the nut is held against rotation. On a beveled collar 18 of the nut is a scale 19, the gradusiiaa's of which are designed to be read in connection with-the zero point 20 on the plate 21'that is fastened to the end .in :fractions of inches. Secured to the case When the clamp lever is is an arm 24, the upper end of which is provided with a zero point 25, designed to register with the graduations of the scale on the side of the carriage.

The feeler lever 26 is mounted on a pivot 27 carried at the front of the support or car-- riage. The lower end of the short arm of this lever is provided with a feeling point 28 made of a suitably hard substance. The upper end of the long arm of the feeler lever is provided with a thumb screw 29. Pivotally mounted on cars 30 in the housing on the top of the carriage below the feeler lever is a contact lever 31. This contact lever has a contact point 32 that is arrangedto engage with the fixed contact point 33 when the contact end of the lever is pressed down.

When the contact end of the lever is free,- the otherend of the lever being the heav1er,-

causes a disengagement of the contacts. A circuit wire 34 is shown as connected with the contact lever 81, and a circuit wire 85 is shown as connected with the fixed contact These circuit wires are designed to he connected with the apparatus which stops the feed or causes a cessation of the etiective action of the reducing tool or agent, whatever it may be.

In using this apparatus, after it has been moved along the top of the table to a position opposite the piece of stock to he reduced to the predetermined dimensiointhe hand wheel is turned and the feed screw rotated so as to move the feeler support toward and from the axis of the stock until the zero point on the fixed arm 24 registers with the indication on the scale 22 which shows the desired dimension. Fig. 1 of the drawings shows the feeler support adjusted for reducing the. stock to one inch. It is to he understood, of course, that the spaces of the graduations on this scale carried on the side by the support are one-half of the ultimate diameter of the stock, that is, it the stock is to he reduced to one inch and it is circular, the cutter or grinder is fed toward. the axis of thestock hut one-half of an inch. If the stock is to he reduced to few liumsandths. or tcn-thousaudths, more orless than is indicated on the scale 22 mounted on the cm'riagc, the hand wheel is turned so that the scale 10 on its pcri 'ihcry indicates with relation to zero on the arm 11 the amount the screw must he rotated in order to eltect this difference. The feeling point. is now hearing against the stock. When the stock is larger than the ultimate dimension, the upper end oi? the feeling lever is raised so that. the contact lover is free, and the electrical contacts are se uiratcd. As the stock is reduced, the upper end ol the feeling lever moves downward until the time when the stock reaches the required dimension. Then the end. oi the sol screw carried hy the upper end of the lecling lever forces down close the circuit.

the contact end of the contact lever. and

causes the electrical contacts to engage and This sets in action the apparatus which causes the reducing tool or agent to cease its work.

It the point of the feeling lever becomes worn,orin case there are any irregularities in themanufacture of the apparatus, or whenever a new point is inserted, and the feeling point is not in the correct position to cause the reducing agent to stop work at the exact dimension required, the clamp lever 17 is loosened and the nut'handle is turned either one way or the other, the amount of which is indicated by the scale 19 on the nut, so as to move the support in or out along the feed screw. 11y this means, no matter from what cause the feeling point varies, the carriage can be adjusted so that the feeli'n point will act accurately, and the scales rea correctly.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a dimensioning apparatus, the comloination with a feeler movably mounted and l adapted to engage stock to be reduced, of a.

movably mounted support for the factor, means for moving the support toward and from the stock, and adjustable means connecting the said support andthe said support moving means for determining the relation of the support to the moving means.

2. In a dimensioning apparatus, the combination with a feeler movably mounted and adapted to engage stock to be reduced, 01 a movably mounted support for the feeler, a feed screwfor moving the support toward and from the stock, and adjustable means connecting the said support and the said feed screw. 1

3. In a dimensioning apparatus, the conr bination with a feeler movably mounted and adapted to engage stock to be reduced, of a vmovably mounted support for the feeler, a

feed screw for moving the support toward and from the stock, a hand wheel for turning the feed screw, a scale mounted upon the hand wheel, an indexcooperating with said scale, and adjustable means carried by the feeler support andengaging the feed screw for adjusting the position oi said support with relation to the said screw.

4. In a dimensioning apparatus, the combination with a feeler movably mounted and adapted to engage stock to he reduced, (it a movable support for the fcelcr, means for moving the support toward and from the stock, means for adjusting the support with relation to said moving means, and means for clamping said adjusting means.

5. In a dimensioning apparatus, the combination with a fceler movahly mounted and adapted to engage stock to he reduced. of amovably mounted support for the iccler, a feed screw for moving the support toward and from thostoclr, ahaud wluwl l'or turning esesee the feed screw, a scale mounted on the hand wheel, an index registering with said. scale, u scale carried by said support, an index registering with the scale certi ied by the support, and adjustable means connecting the feed screw and said feeler support.

6. In a dimensioning apparatus, the combination with a feeier movabiy inounteci and adapted to engage stock to be reducer-l of a movably mounted support for the feeier, a

nut carried by the support, means for rotate ing'the nut, means for clamping the nut, and a feedscrew turning in said nut for moving the feeler support toward and from the stock.

7. In a dimensioning apparatus, the combination with e feeler movably mounted and adapted to engage stock to be reduced, of e movably mounted support for the feeler, a

adapted to engage stock to be reduced, of a from th stock, Y '1 tween said moving i and electrical contacts and adapted to be closed the stock i'eiueed in dimension.

9 in e dinr bi'netion with 10 In a din'iensioni 'i binetion with fee engage the stock to carrying said po port heeiingse the support town an edjusteb? ing means and.

supporting me i mined. 

